LeagueNews.co | Robbie Hamilton
The Canberra Raiders faced off against the Brisbane Broncos in the inaugural Women's Indigenous round, ultimately falling short with a score of 44-28.
The game began with the Broncos striking first, as a grubber kick found Hayley Maddick, who capitalized on a fortunate bounce to give her team an early 4-nil lead within the first five minutes.
Continuing their offensive momentum, Tamika Upton executed a cut-out pass to Maddick, allowing her to score again and extend the Broncos' lead to 10-nil.
Brisbane maintained control, securing two more tries from Kerri Johnson and Gayle Broughton, establishing a significant 20-nil advantage.
However, Raiders player Leianne Tufuga set the stage for their first offensive opportunity by intercepting a pass, giving her team a chance to attack near the Broncos' try line.
The Broncos' defense proved formidable, preventing the Raiders from getting close to scoring. It wasn't until a well-executed play on the left that Zahara Temara finally crossed the line, bringing the score to 20-6.
Temara continued to impress in the first half, delivering a perfectly placed kick into the in-goal area. Brisbane's Johnson mishandled the ball, allowing Hollie-Mae Dodd to capitalize and reduce the deficit to 20-12.